


Strangers Who Share A Home

by reefsntsumu



Series: Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant To Be a.k.a the fics with no happy endings [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji is a Good Friend, Angst, Break Up, Established Relationship, Falling Out of Love, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Lovers to exes - Freeform, Mutual Break Up, breaking up, kinda broke my heart writing this, kuroo falls out of love with the reader, kuroo feels really bad, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29601648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reefsntsumu/pseuds/reefsntsumu
Summary: "I was so in love with him I convinced myself that everything would be okay, that this was just a hitch in our relationship. But now— now it’s like we’re strangers who share a home"...“Akaashi, do you think it’s selfish of me to hope that he doesn’t break up with me?”“You’re trying to protect yourself, it’s understandable,” Akaashi answered honestly. “But is that what you need? How much longer are you gonna suffer in silence, Y/N?”
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader
Series: Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant To Be a.k.a the fics with no happy endings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2174862
Kudos: 13





	Strangers Who Share A Home

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! this was requested to me on tumblr, so I decided to share here. I hope y'all enjoy this!

When you and Tetsurou had first gotten together, it had been far from awkward. It was a natural thing, an inevitable development because you and Tetsurou were drawn to each other, a magnetism between you two that was unparalleled. It was perfect, as most relationships are in the beginning, the honeymoon phase many would call it. Unabashed laughter, stolen kisses, hands all over each other, it was a euphoric feeling, to say the least.

~~

_“Tetsurou, be quiet,” you tried shushing Tetsurou, though you weren’t better as you hid your laughs behind your hand._

_“Come on, Y/N, no one’s coming this way,” Tetsurou murmured before leaning down to kiss you._

_You smiled against his lips, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders, as you walked backwards, until Tetsurou had you pressed against a wall._

_“Tetsu,” you whispered. Tetsurou hummed against your lips, signaling that he was listening. “Bokuto,” you tried to say, before Tetsurou pulled away from you pouting._

_“Y/N, I’d prefer if you weren’t saying my friend’s name while we’re making out,”_

_“No, I mean—” you gulped before looking over Tetsurou’s shoulder, “— Bokuto is standing at the doorway looking as if he’s gonna start crying,” Tetsurou slowly turned himself to see a wide-eyed Bokuto frozen still. Bokuto turned abruptly on his heel, mumbling incoherent apologies before he yelled out for Akaashi, shouting how ‘I’m scarred, Akaashi! I need to bleach my eyes!’ You stifled a laugh, burying your head into Tetsurou’s shoulder who was hanging his head low in embarrassment._

_“I told you to be quiet,” you said, looking up at Tetsurou amusedly._

_“That was so embarrassing, Y/N,” Tetsurou whined._

_“Well, it seems like no one’s gonna come back here any time soon after Bokuto’s very loud announcement. So…” you hinted to Tetsurou, who looked at you mischievously before cupping your jaw and capturing your lips with his._

_“I like you, so much, Y/N,” Tetsurou said quietly against your lips._

_“Well, I would hope so, given our current situation,” you teased before realizing that Tetsurou was serious. “Tetsurou, I like you a lot, too,”_

_There was a silent understanding that the ‘a lot’ implied more than just liking each other. That there was love between you two that would last a while, even if you were only lovestruck teenagers. It was a silent promise to love each other. And you kept that promise so close and dear to your heart._

_~~_

And even after the honeymoon phase passed, a transition into a more domestic and comfortable relationship, there was still undoubtedly love between you two. Tetsurou would wake up early in the mornings, peppering you with kisses until you reluctantly got out of bed. He’d wrap his arms around your waist, poke his cold nose at the back of your neck as you prepared breakfast, and you’d chastised him to stop because ‘come on Tetsu, your nose is so damn cold in the morning,’ but you’d laugh when he’d kiss you some more and hold you a little tighter. You’d eat breakfast together, before Tetsurou had to leave for work. You’d kiss him goodbye, tell him to drive safe, and that you loved him. He’d say ‘I love you’ back.

You never found a reason to doubt his words.

You’d come home late from work after Tetsurou but would always be met with Tetsurou in the kitchen preparing dinner, swaying his hips as he hummed a song. You’d come up behind him, lay your head on his back, feeling his muscle tense then relax when he realized it was you. He’d lean down to kiss you, asking how your day was, before you’d leave to go shower.

This was normal. This was familiar. Each day a little different, a little new, but there was always a constant. And this constant was Tetsurou’s presence. Because you knew that no matter how the day would go, you’d wake up next Tetsurou, come home to Tetsurou, and go to sleep next to him. No matter what happened, you were reassured that Tetsurou was by your side. And that was all you could ask for.

High school sweethearts, that’s what you two were. Together since your third year of high school, going strong into your early twenties. And you supposed that being together for that long was somewhat promising, that maybe you would be together longer; forever even. You and Tetsurou understood each other, knew each other like the back of your hands, were inseparable. You shared a lot of firsts with him: first kiss, first partner, first shared home, first ‘I love you’s. You’d experienced so much with Tetsurou imagining days without him seemed… absurd, really. 

Of course, not everything was sunshine and rainbows. There would be fights, misunderstandings, jealousy, the expected ups and downs of a relationship. But you worked through them, loved each other more despite your differences, and at the end of the day you knew it would always be Y/N and Tetsurou. Tetsurou and Y/N.

And oh, you so desperately wanted to hold onto this fantasy for as long as you could. 

~~

_“Hey, it’s me again,” you spoke into the phone, leaving your third voicemail to Tetsurou. “You’re usually home by now— I’m getting a little worried and I just need to know that you’re okay. So just call me, text me, tell Bokuto to call me— just anything to let me know you’re okay. Come home to me please, I love you,” you whispered the last words, like a final plea of desperation, like those final words would make Tetsurou come home._

_This wasn’t the first time Tetsurou had come home late, but normally he’d let you know ahead of time. These past few occurrences, he’d seem to have forgotten that there was someone waiting for him back home, someone who was worrying about his well-being. And as much as you wanted to be angry at him for not letting you know where he was, you couldn’t help but think about the worst-case scenarios._

_You knew deep down that Tetsurou would come home safely, and that feeble reassurance was enough to coax yourself to bed. Your shared bed. The bed that was becoming colder and colder, lacking Tetsurou’s warmth._

_It was scaring you that the absence next to you at night was slowly becoming familiar._

_Eventually Tetsurou did come home, at what time, you weren’t sure. But you could hear the door creak open, feel the bed dip next to you, feel Tetsurou’s back inches away from you. You did your best not let out a shaky breath because you knew now. You knew things had begun to change. And you weren’t ready to let go of what had been the best years of your life. So, you held on for as long as you could to the barely-there thread of yours and Tetsurou’s relationship._

And so, you pretended not to notice the changes, how Tetsurou began to leave earlier and come home later, how he wouldn’t try to hold conversations, how he had begun to say ‘I love you’ less and less. You ignored it, but were you really ignoring it if each night you cried yourself to sleep knowing what was happening.

Knowing that Tetsurou was falling out of love with you.

And it seemed Tetsurou had begun to affect you because you no longer found yourself looking forward to morning conversations with Tetsurou, but rather found yourself relieved when the bed was empty, the coffee was cold and the apartment was silent because at least then you wouldn’t have to wake up and face the man who no longer loved you, despite having devoted so much of yourself to him. It pained you, to know there would inevitably come an end to your relationship, but god, oh god, you didn’t want it to end.

~~

“Y/N!” Akaashi’s voice called out to you from down the street, standing in front of a cafe. You turned to see Akaashi with a gentle smile on his face and coffee in his hands. You waved to him, offering a genuine smile to him as you made towards him. 

“Akaashi,” you greeted.

“How are you doing, Y/N?” Akaashi asked, wrapping himself tighter in his coat, a chilly breeze blowing through the streets.

“I’m doing um _—_ ” you stopped, contemplating your words. “ _—_ Well, I could be better,” you replied honestly, shrugging your shoulders.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Akaashi replied. “I already got coffee, but I don’t mind another cup if you’d like to go inside and talk some more,” Akaashi pointed to the entrance of the coffee shop. “You seem like you need someone to talk to,” Akaashi explained a little more.

“Always so perceptive, Keiji-kun,” you sang.

“I do my best,”

~~~

“So, it’s been a while since we talked,” Keiji started.

“It has, hasn’t it? Might have been my fault, though. I’ve been a little caught up with my own _—_ uh feelings,” you said pathetically.

“Everything with you and Kuroo-san going alright?” 

And that simple question almost tore you apart. It took everything in your willpower to not start crying right then and there because god, you’ve just felt so alone, so tired, so exhausted of bottling every single one of your feelings and doubts and insecurities that had been weighing you down these past few months.

You inhaled deeply, shutting your eyes to compose yourself before you looked back at Akaashi.

“No,” you choked out. “No, things have _—_ they’ve changed. A lot,”

Akaashi looked at you sadly. “How so?”

A pause.

“I don’t think he loves me anymore,” you said barely above a whisper.

Admitting that aloud had been a stab to the heart. It had been the first time you’ve verbalized the possibility and saying it to someone had felt like defeat, felt that there was no return to the once perfect relationship you and Tetsurou had.

Akaashi remained silent, and you took that as a sign to continue speaking.

“And I don’t even know where we went wrong. Where _I_ went wrong. It just happened so slowly, I hadn't even realized until I became so used to waking up and going to bed alone. And, God, do you realize how pathetic that is? I am— I was so in love with him I convinced myself that everything would be okay, that this was just a hitch in our relationship. But now _—_ now it’s like we’re strangers who share a home,” you confessed, pressing the heels of your hands into your eyes as you tried not to cry in public.

“Y/N,” Akaashi said quietly. “How long have you been feeling like this? How long has this been happening?”

“I can’t even remember. I don’t even know when it started. His absence has just been so much heavier now, it’s been killing me, and I can’t— I’m not strong enough to end this relationship,”

“I’m _—_ ”

“Akaashi,” you cut him off. “Do you think it’s selfish of me to hope that he doesn’t break up with me?”

“You’re trying to protect yourself, it’s understandable,” Akaashi answered honestly. “But is that what you need? How much longer are you gonna suffer in silence, Y/N?”

~~~

It was nearing midnight, Tetsurou still hadn’t come home. Nothing unusual. He’d been coming later and later these past few weeks.

It had been about a week since your talk with Akaashi and you’d contemplated his words, asked yourself the question he’d ask you.

_How much longer are you gonna suffer in silence?_

You wrapped the blanket around you tighter as you snuggled deeper into the couch, listening to the quiet music that was playing out of your speaker. You heard the door creak, and your stomach turned; you were nervous, scared. There would be no going back after this, you knew this. 

You heard Tetsurou walk in and take his shoes off, heard his keys clatter on the counter, heard him sigh tiredly as he grabbed a glass of water.

You pulled yourself off the couch, dropping the blanket on the cushions before you made your way to the kitchen, where Tetsurou was standing.

“Tetsurou,” you called out. Tetsurou froze before turning to you with a tired smile.

“Y/N,” he said quietly.

“I need to tell you something and I need you to listen because if I don’t say it now, I don’t think I ever will. Okay?” you explained and Tetsurou nodded skeptically. “I think we should break up,” you breathed out quickly.

Tetsurou looked startled and it angered you just a little bit. Because how dare he act surprised when he had left you feeling alone for so long? Why was he acting surprised when he had fallen out of love first?

“Y/N-” Tetsurou tried to speak but you stopped him.

“No, let me talk. I don’t know where we went wrong, I don’t know where _I_ went wrong or if I even did anything wrong. But this isn’t working out anymore. You know this. I know this. So, I don’t know why you hadn’t said anything sooner, I don’t even know why you pretended to care that you were invested in this relationship or that you even loved me but _—_ ”

“I do love you, Y/N,” Tetsurou said desperately, trying to reach out for you but you stepped backwards, shaking your head.

“Then why didn’t you fucking act like it?” you spat. You didn’t expect to get angry, but these past few months had just been so goddamn horrible and exhausting that finally letting out all this pent-up frustration felt so good. “God, Tetsurou, I made myself believe that you still loved me after I’d cry myself to sleep when you didn’t come home. I told myself that this was just a bump in our relationship, that we’d work through it all. But, _fuck_ ,” you cursed. “You spend more time at your work than your own goddamn house. Just tell me what I already know Tetsurou. Give me a peace of mind because I can’t take this anymore,” you quieted down.

“Y/N,” Tetsurou spoke with a watery voice before he reached over, pulling you into a hug and you sobbed into his chest. 

_Finally_ , you thought. Finally, you had told him how you were feeling, and it felt so relieving.

“I’m so sorry,” Tetsurou mumbled repeatedly into your hair. 

“Just tell me, please,” you begged.

“I _—_ ” Tetsurou’s voice shook. “I’m not in love with you anymore,”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I felt, I felt guilty. You didn’t deserve it. You hadn’t done anything, and I knew that I still loved you so so much, but something changed and I just _—_ I wasn’t brave enough to tell you. And that was selfish of me to put you through all of that. But Y/N I still love you,” Tetsurou explained.

“But you’re not in love with me,” you repeated his words.

“No, I’m not,”

“So, we’re breaking up?” you asked teary-eyed. You knew the answer. Didn’t mean it hurt any less.

“Yeah, I think so,” Tetsurou said with a shaky voice.

~~~

_“Tetsurou,” you called out, peeking out through your bedroom door._

_“Yeah, honey, what’s up,” Tetsurou turned from the stove looking at you with a smirk._

_“Oh? You’re making breakfast today?” You looked at him skeptically, wrapping your arms around his waist, leaning into his back._

_“Mhm,”_

_“Special occasion?” you questioned._

_“No special occasion, just wanted to make you something nice,”_

_“That’s sweet, but Tetsurou?” you sang, pulling away from him and twisting around so that you were facing him._

_“Yes, Y/N,” Tetsurou repeated in the same sing-songy tone as you._

_“You’re a shit cook, I’m not eating that,” you teased, eyeing the burnt toast and overcooked eggs._

_“It’s the thought that counts,” Tetsurou shrugged before grinning and kissing you softly._

_“I love you,” you said, pulling away._

_“I love you more,” Tetsurou smiled._

_And you never really found a reason to doubt Tetsurou’s words._

~~~

And because you had shared so many firsts with Tetsurou, it was a cruel turn of fate to have to share so many lasts with him as well.

The last night you shared a bed with Tetsurou. The last night you fell asleep next to him. The last morning you woke up in his arms. The last kiss you shared with him before he waved goodbye and left you alone in your apartment. Not yours and Tetsurou’s apartment. Just yours. 

Your heart hadn’t been broken that day. No, rather your heart had fallen apart piece by piece, day by day, painfully and slowly until there was no more love to give. 

**Author's Note:**

> feedback always appreciated!!  
> come yell at me on tumblr or twitter @reefsntsumu !!  
> stay safe, everyone!


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